Vacuum cleaner nozzle



April 21, 1942. H. L. DAVE@ VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed July '7,A 1939 -f INVENTOR HIS/5N A. @H4/15 BY l /ATTORE\'JEY Patented Apr. 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER N OZZLE Helen L. Davis, Kenosha, Wis.

Application July 7, 1939, Serial No. 283,143

(ci. 11s-15s) 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaner nozzles.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved vacuum cleaner nozzle in which the capacity of the device for renioving dust and lint from a nap surface is greatly improved without any increase in energy and With a reduced injury to the surface cleaned.

It is recognized that suction alone will only remove a portion of the dust and lint from a carpet or piece of upholstery. Brushes and beaters somewhat increase the efficacy of a nozzle but may occasion injury to the fabric traversed or may stir up dust which is not caught by the apv the action of the air currents in extracting the dust and lint from the fabric cleaned; and thirdly, which will deliver the extracted dust and lint through the air currents for collection in the bag of the vacuum cleaner, whereby the electrostatic nozzle is self-cleaning and permanently effective,

and whereby the air current performs a new and different function in primarily cleaning the nozzle rather than the surface of the fabric traversed.

It is a further specific object of the invention f` to provide a nozzle in which the use of a brush to supplement the action of the electrostatic device and theair iioW is optional, the arrangement being such that the brush may be applied or removed at will and. further, being such that when the brush is in use any dust dislodged by the brush 4is sure to be collected by the nozzle.

Other objects of the invention will4 appear frdm the following disclosure of its mechanical structure.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a drawing in side elevation of an improved vacuum cleaner nozzle embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the nozzle shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the nozzle in cross section showing separately the brush which is optionally used therewith.

lll

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The nozzle head 5 has a neck portion 6 terminating in a vacuum hose coupling l. For convenience in manipulating the nozzle over stair carpeting, upholstering and draperies, the neck portion 6 is preferably bulged at 8 to fit the operators palm, and its exterior surface has grooves at 9 to receive the operators fingers whereby the device may be used without fatigue.

The nozzle head itself may be made of any desired material as, for example, of sheet or cast aluminum or other metal. The electrostatic mouth plate I0, however, is preferably made of plastic or of glass or hard rubber, or any other of the numerous smooth hard materials of high dielectric value'which may be electrostatically energized when frictionally rubbed. The entire nozzle head may be made of similar material if desired, but it is only necessary for the purposes of the present invention that the electrostatic material be used in the plate I0 which, for convenience of manufacture, is preferably made separately and held in place by means of the screws II or any other approved fastening.

The electrostatic mouth plate I0 preferably has a laterally elongated elliptical central opening at I5 surrounded by a rib I6 adapted to ride frictionally over the fabric when the nozzle is in use. Outside of this rib there are one or more concentric channels Il, I8, outlined by similar ribs I9, 20, the bottoms of the channels being in communication through slots 2 I, 22 with the vacuum chamber 23 in the interior of head 5.

The device as thus far described is complete for successful operation in the removal of dust and lint from rugs, upholstery. draperies, and other fabrics. It may, however, be desired to use a brush, in which case I provide a brush at 25 comprising a back adapted to fit frictionally into the tapered walls which bound the central opening I5 in the nozzle plate I0, being studded in the usual manner with bristles 2S, and preferably being provided at various points in its back with slots or notches 21 through which air may enter the vacuum chamber 23. The thickness of the back 25 of the brush and the length of the.

bristles is such that when the brushis inserted fil) Figure 4 is a detail view in plan of the brush.

in plate I0 the bristles will project very slightly beyond the ribs IB, I9 and 20. Since the bristles are completely surrounded first by the electrostatically charged ribs I6, I9 and 20, and secondly by the channels Il and `I8 through which air is entering the vacuum cleaner, it will be apparent that there is little or no possibility of dust displaced by the brushV escaping from the device. 4

In operation, the smooth, hard, rounded ribs I6, I9 and 20 of the dielectric nozzle mouth plate I rest directly on the fabric to be cleaned, and

as the nozzle is moved ovengthe fabric the mate-w.

Y rial comprisirrgth ribs i'iecornesY electrostatically mechanically the dirt from the fabric surfaces rsed thereby, and to attract such dirt to the 1 ere is, 'a further tendency for the dirt to move about the smoothly rounded surfaces oi the ribs to points out of direct contact with the fabric. Thus the accumulated dirt gradually fills the channels.

With the vacuum cleaner fan (not shown) in operation, the vacuum line represented by coupling l for the purposes of the present application, becomes energized to draw air at substantial velocities through the central opening I and the slots 2|, 22, The movement of the air greatly augmente the dirt collecting power of the apparatus and, conversely, the presence of the electrostatically charged plate lll may augment the dirt gathering power which the device would have if it depended on suction only. Both the electrostatic attraction and the suction work together in drawing the dirt to the nozzle.

However, as fast as the dirt accumulates in the openings of plate I0, it tends to obstruct the movement of air into said opening toward the vacuum line 1, thereby increasing the pressure differential at the opening and sweeping the dirt from plate Il) into the chamber 23 and thence. through the vacuum line to the usual collection means of the vacuum cleaner. Thus, the air movement performs a somewhat different function in this apparatus from that performed in the usual vacuum cleaner in that its primary duty is to remove the air not from the fabric traversed, but from the dielectric plate on which the dirt is collected.

Ordinarily the mechanical action of the ribs I6, I9, on plate l0 will be entirely adequate to dislodge the dirt from the fabric but, when the brush is used its bristles will supplement the ribs while at the same time still providing a flow of air past and through the bristles as well as about the ribs. The notches 21 in the brush back 25 are not only intended to'pass the air but provide convenient finger holds by means of which the operator may grasp the back to pull it from its frictional engagement with plate I0.

It will be noted that the channels i 1, I8 extend in the form of closed figures, preferably elliptical, completely around the perimeter of plate l0 representing zones of substantially uniform air pressure. While this feature is not essential, it is regarded as very desirable, and has proved to contribute measurably to the effective cleaning work of the nozzle.

I claim:

l. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination with a vacuum head, of a bottom closure plate therefor of electrostatically chargeable material provided centrally with a through opening communieating with said vvacuum head and having on its under surface an inner rib about said opening and at least one additional rib spaced from said inner rib to provide a downwardly opening intervening channel, said plate having a plurality of additional openings from said channel to said vacuum head, whereby to establish azone of approximately/constant pressure between said rib .means,'togeth er with a brush removably positioned in V sa-id central opening and provided with a back having apertures affording air movement through said opening.

2. A vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising the combination with a vacuum head interiorly provided with a vacuum chamber, of a ported bottom for said head comprising a downwardly projecting dielectric rib adapted to receive frictlonally an electrostatic charge for attracting lint to said rib, said rib being smoothly rounded and substantially continuous about an area of 'the under surface of said bottom and adapted to provide support for said bottom from a surface to be cleaned whereby said area is enclosed and maintained at substantially uniform sub-atmospheric pressure, the bottom area encircled by said rib being provided immediately adjacent the rib with suflcient port capacity communicating with said chamber to afford substantially free movement of high velocity air from said rib to said chamber, whereby air passing beneath said rib into the area enclosed by said rib and thence to said vacuum head moves from a point of high electrostatic charge on said rib to a point of low electrostatic charge thereon, thereby facilitating pneumatic delivery into said vacuum head of dust elcctrostatically picked up by said rib.

3. A vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising the combination with a vacuum head provided interiorly with a vacuum chamber, of a bottom plate therefor having 4spaced and substantially parallel circuitously extending rib means of dielectric material adapted to receive frictionally an electrostatic charge, said rib means being disposed for substantially continuous surface contact with a plane surface and being smoothly convexly rounded, said plate having a channel between said rib means with openings to said chamber immediately contiguous to the rib means, whereby the channel space enclosed by the rib means is at substantially uniform pressure differential with respect to the external atmosphere and high velocity air currents moving beneath the outermost of said rib means toward said vacuum chamber pass from the lower and relatively highly charged portions of said rib means toward the upper and less highly charged portions thereof to facilitate the entrainment and pneumatic delivery toward said chamber of dust electrostatically picked up by said rib means.

4. As a new article of manufacture a vacuum cleaner nozzle member adapted to constitute a work contacting device for a nozzle vacuum chamber, said member being provided marginally with a circuitously extending rib of electrostatically chargeable material extending downwardls7 from the lower surface of the plate substantially continuously about an intermediate area of the bottom of said member and having its lower surface smoothly convexly rounded and extending substantially continuously at the same level to maintain substantially equal pressure at all points of said area adjacent said rib, said member being open for communicationwith said vacuum chamber in said area within the rib immediately contiguous to the base of said rib, whereby to establish high velocity air currents moving uniformly over substantially all portions of said rib from the lower and more highly charged portions thereof toward the upper and less highly charged portions thereof.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a closure plate for the vacuum chamber of a vacuum cleaner nozzle, said plate comprising a lower surface 5 provided with a series of circuitously extending and generally elliptical ribs of electrostatically chargeable material, said ribs being substantially parallel and having apices extending substantially continuously to a common plane beneath said plate and convexly smoothly rounded upwardly p from said plane, said plate having channels in-4 tervening between said ribs and being provided with communication apertures from said channels through said plate immediately adjacent the respective ribs, whereby to create between said ribs zones of substantially uniform pressure subject to sub-atmospheric pressure communicated thereto through the openings of said plate for establishing high Velocity currents over the ribs l0 from their apices toward said plate.

HELEN L. DAVIS. 

